A New Solution for CPAP Tubing

Flashy CPAP units and masks dominate the sleep technology landscape, but the right tubes can mean the difference between compliance and failure. Plastiflex engineers and market experts examined the sleep technology market and determined that their expertise in industrial tubing systems could bolster the all-too-common weaknesses found in CPAP systems

After an exhaustive fact-finding period, designers narrowed down CPAP tubing complaints to condensation and comfort. According to Rik Langerock, marketing manager for Plastiflex Healthcare, condensation in the breathing circuits was a persistent problem, and a key area where his Belgium-based company could make a difference.

“We spoke to many different people in the supply and value chain and it was condensation in the respiratory tubes that we found to be significant,” says Langerock. “A second related need was about bringing more comfortable air to the patient.”

Comfort usually means warmer and/or more humid air, and this is where Plastiflex is able to use its considerable expertise. Other factors such as mask materials and proper fit play a role, but Langerock and his team were determined to only tackle what they knew best. “You must understand what matches with your core competency as a company,” says Langerock. “Our core competence is in the design and manufacturing of hose systems solutions.”

Plastiflex engineers ultimately came up with the Hybernite® Rainout Control (ROC) System, which includes the proprietary Hybernite® Heated Breathing Tube (HBT) and Hybernite® Power Supply Unit (PSU). The HBT connects to the PSU via a plug and-play connector, with copper wires embedded in the tubing wall. These wires generate heat that maintains air temperature inside the tube, ultimately warding off problematic condensation. The wires are positioned for uniform heating along the tube’s entire length, a system that avoids water droplets on the wall of the tube and the resulting accumulation of moisture.